Curtain-fixture.



PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907.

C. L. HOPKINS.

CURTAIN FIXTURE APPLIGATION FILED ooT.a0 1905.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE,

CHARLES L. HOPKINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLlNOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CURTAIN SUPPLY COMPANXOF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF N EW J ERSEY.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

Speciiicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22,1907.

To all whom, at may concern.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES L. HOPKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use- Jr'ul Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures, bf which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of devices that are adapted to be carried by a spring-actuated curtain or shade at or near the lower 'margin of the latter to guide the curtain and to hold it at any desired point ofelevation against the upward pull of its spring curtain-roller,

More particularly, this invention relates to that type of holding devices wherein a hollow curtain-stick is provided with rods slidably mounted therein, these rods being outwardly spring-pressed and having tips or heads at their outer ends and pinch-handles or pendants at their inner ends.

The object of the present invention is the provision of means for adjusting a device oi' this class to windows of varying widths and means for preventing accidental changing O'I' the adjustment.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of onehalf of a holding device embodying my invention, the tubular curtain-stick being in longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 2 is a broken view of the upper side of a portion of the device. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of the stick, showing the parlts in a different position from that shown in i 1.

lfngthe drawings, 1() is the tubular stick, 11 is the slidable rod, and 12 is the spring tending to force the rod toward the end of the stick. The rod 11 carries at its outer end the head 13, which may be of any preferred form and is secured to the rod by a pin 14, which passes through the stem 13a of the head and the rod. The opposite or inner end of the rod is provided with screw-threads, which take into suitable screw-threads upon a pendant or pinch-handle 15, the latter being of a well-known form requiring no description here. At a predetermined distance from the end of the tubular stick the walls of the latter are cut, as shown at 16 16, andthe tongues thus formed are bent inwardly. Against these inwardly-bent tongues a washer 17 is seated, and against this washer is seated the spring 12. If the spring at its opposite or outer end were permitted to thrust directly against the end of the` stem 13a of the head 13, the head `13 and rod 11 would be free to rotate, and the device would thus be liable to become accidentally lengthened or shortened. In practical use this is found to be objectionable. I therefore provide automatic means for-locking the head and rod against rotation and consequent change in the' length of the'device or detachment of the head and rod from the pendant. lnterposed between the stem 13EL and the spring 12 and slidable on the rnd 1'1 is aclutch-sleeve 18. This sleeve is prevented rom rotating with the rod and head by a pin 19, which works back and forth in a slot 20 in the tube. The ends of the .sleeve and stem where they abut are formed to interengage by inclined surfaces 13b and 18h, so as to normally prevent rotation of the head. When it is desired to rotate the head and rod to screw the rod into or out of the pendant for purposes of adjustment, the head and rod may be rotated by the application of considerable force. The engaging parts of the stem and clutch-sleeve being beveled or inclined, as above mentioned, rotation of the stem thrusts the clutch-sleeve back and holds it back, as indicated in Eig. 3, until the stem has made a complete revolution, when the clutch-sleeve snaps back into place. `It will thus be seen that with the arrangement of parts herein shown the heads are not likely to be accidentally turned when the iixture comes out of the grooves, as sometimes happens with all lixtures of this class. When it is desired to rotate a head for purposes of adjustment, it may be done, the head .being locked once during each rotation.

Other forms or' construction embodying the invention may be made by the mechanic g but What I claim as of my invention is- 1. In a curtain-fixture, the combination of a tubular stick, a rod slidably arranged in the stick, a head on the end of the rod having a stem fast with said head projecting into the stick, screw means for lengthening or shortening the fixture by rotating the head, means on the rod adapted to engage the stem of the head to prevent rotation of the head and consequent change in the length of the fixture, and means for preventing rotation of said stem-engaging means.

IOO

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2. In a curtain-iXture, the combination With a tubular stick, a rod slidably arranged in the stick, a head on the end of the rod, screw means on the rod for lengthening or shortening the iXture by rotating the head, a clutch-sleeve on the rod adapted to engage the head to prevent rotation thereof, and means for preventing rotation of the clutch sleeve relatively to the stick.

3. In a curtain-fixture, the combination of a tubular stick, a rod in the stick adapted to have endWise movement therein, a head at the end ofthe rod, a clutch-sleeve on the rod, means for preventing rotation of the clutchsleeve relatively to the stick, and a spring adapted to hold the clutch-sleeve in engagement With the head, for the purpose seti'orth.

4. In a curtain-fixture, the combination of a tubular stick, a head at the end of the stick, means for adjusting the length of the fixture by rotating the head, ablutch member in the stick adapted to engage thehead, means for preventing rotation ofthe clutch member relatively to the stick, and spring means Within the stick for moving the clutch member toward the head.

5.v In a curtain-fixture, the combination ol' a tubular stick, a head at the end of the stick, a member in the stick normally engaging the head and preventing rotation -of the head, a pin carried by the said member, a slot in the stick through which the pin rojects, and a spring for pressing said member against the head.

6. In a curtain-fixture, the combination of a tubular stick, a head at the end of the stick, a clutch member in the stick adapted to engage the head and normally prevent rotation of the head, and a slot-and-pin connection between the clutch member and the stick to prevent rotation of the clutch member and permit movement of the same lengthwise of the stick, for the purpose set forth.

Y CHARLES L. HOPKINS.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, FREDERICK GOODWIN, 

